Gigaba celebrated Diwali with the Guptas

Gigaba celebrated Diwali with the Guptas

Gigaba in turn accused the Oppenheimers of throwing him “under a convenient Gupta bus”. File photo

Image by: Lauren Mulligan

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has revealed that he celebrated Diwali with the Gupta family.

Fin24 reported on Tuesday that Gigaba‚ asked about his relationship with the family‚ said he had met them but added that the family held no sway over his decisions.

“As I meet many other business people‚ it does not mean I have a relationship with them‚” he said.

Speaking in Pretoria on Tuesday‚ Gigaba said that nuclear-based electricity generation would be implemented at a scale and pace that South Africa could afford.

The Sunday Times reported late in 2016 that the influential Oppenheimer family had accused Gigaba of being “captured” by the Guptas after he rejected their application to grant international status to a luxury terminal their aviation company built at OR Tambo International Airport.

Gigaba in turn accused the Oppenheimers of throwing him “under a convenient Gupta bus”.